What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Southern Charm Savannah is a spin-off reality series that features endless argumentative behavior, strong innuendo, bare bottoms (other nudity blurred), and lots of drinking. The language is strong (curses are bleeped), and on occasion people engage in destructive behavior out of anger. Concepts like Southern heritage, classism, bigotry, and other topics associated with living in the region are also discussed.

What's the story?

An installment of the Southern Charm franchise, SOUTHERN CHARM SAVANNAH is a reality series featuring a group of southern socialites living in the historic town of Savannah, Georgia. Eclectic fashion designer Ashley Borders has returned to her home town and is hanging out with folks like entrepreneur Louis Oswald, legal marketer Daniel Eichholz, southern belle Catherine Cooper, her long-time boyfriend Lyle Mackenzie, Hannah Pearson, a transplant from Atlanta. Occasionally joining the gang is Nelson W. Lewis, a former conservative radio producer who once made headlines for impersonating a congressman. Life in the country’s oldest city is never dull as they each try to break out and start new ventures, contemplate marriage, and participate in other activities while enjoying their family’s wealth, privilege, and legacy.

Is it any good?

Some folks may find it entertaining, but this reality series lacks genuine hospitality. Southern Charm Savannah features a group of millennials who revel in their family’s legacies, which range from having a great-great-grandfather who signed the Declaration of Independence, to being related to town’s first Jewish settler. It also highlights how their families’ dark pasts, including plantation and slave ownership, as well as criminal behavior, contribute to their current wealth and social status. Regardless of history, the cast is clearly proud of its Southern heritage.

It’s slightly better than its sister series, but most of the show revolves around individuals celebrating their pedigree and justifying their place in Savannah’s upper crust. It also features lots of self-centered and privileged behavior, some of which simply reinforces common stereotypes about people from the region.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about the reasons reality cast members engage in behaviors on TV that can potentially reinforce stereotypes about them or their communities. Is it to make series like Southern Charm Savannah more entertaining? To reinforce a truth?

Does Southern Charm Savannah offer a realistic view of what life is like in Savannah? Does watching the show make you want to visit the town?

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